The mobile phone case involving the former Director of Administration and Personnel of Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Amatus Liyumba, is still dragging at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam for more than two years now without being concluded.
Former Director of Administration and Personnel of Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Amatus Liyumba
The trial came for hearing on Monday before Senior Resident Magistrate Augustino Mbando, but the session was adjourned to October 16 due to the prosecution’s failure to bring a witness. Already seven witnesses have so far testified in the case.
The Prosecutor, Senior State Attorney Tumaini Kweka, said the witness could not show up as expected because he was attending some studies at a police college in the city.
According to him, the prosecution expects to close its evidence after the testimony of the witness in question who is a police officer.
Liyumba was brought to court for the first time on September 8, 2011, to answer charges of smuggling the mobile phone while in a cell at Ukonga Prison and allegedly using the phone to contact some government officials.
At the time, he was serving a two-year custodian sentence after the same court found him guilty of abuse of office during the construction of new building of the BoT head office in Dar es Salaam.
The Prosecution told the court that the accused was found with a cell phone installed in it a subscriber identity module (SIM) card number 0653-004662 and an identification security (IMEI) code 356273/04/276170/3.
It is alleged that Liyumba brought to Ukonga Prison in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, the mobile phone on July 27, 2011, a prohibited item in prisons, which is contrary to applicable law and prison regulations.
The former BoT senior official, who has completed serving his sentence, was granted bail by the court in respect of the pending case after he successfully managed to get one surety, who signed a bond of 50,000/-.
By FAUSTINE KAPAMA, Tanzania Daily News
